Arts & Culture

Meet the Bad Boy of Political Advertising

Staff / Truthdig Jul 14, 2006 He transformed former Gov. Jesse Ventura into a Rodin sculpture and a Texas gubernatorial candidate into an action figure. He also paired Ned Lamont with Daily Kos founder Markos Zuniga. But Bill Hillsman produces winners, so why is he shunned by most of the political advertising establishment? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Brangelina’s Next Project: Mariane Pearl Movie

Staff / Truthdig Jul 13, 2006 Angelina Jolie will star as the wife of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in an adaptation of her book "A Mighty Heart." Jolie's husband Brad Pitt will produce the film, and Michael Winterbottom (whose "The Road to Guantanamo" is in theaters now) will direct. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘South Park’ Scientology/Tom Cruise Spoof Rejoins Lineup

Staff / Truthdig Jul 13, 2006 The Emmy-nominated episode that lampooned Tom Cruise and his Scientology beliefs will rejoin the rotation on Comedy Central, nearly four months after the network yanked it, reportedly under pressure from Cruise himself (more). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Michael Moore: Going Beyond ‘HMO’s Suck’

Staff / Truthdig Jul 12, 2006 The guerrilla documentary filmmaker's next movie, "Sicko," will be "a comedy about 45 million people with no health care in the richest country on earth." But it's not just "a movie that tells you that HMOs and the pharmaceutical companies suck. Everybody knows that. I'd like to show you some things you don't know." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Emmys Stick It to Tom Cruise

Staff / Truthdig Jul 7, 2006 The "South Park" episode that mocked Tom Cruise's affiliation with Scientology is up for an Emmy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Ever Wonder Why Politicos Do the Colbert Show?

Staff / Truthdig Jul 6, 2006 No matter how silly Stephen Colbert makes politicians look on his show, an appearance on "The Colbert Report" is the best (and maybe the only) way to make young voters pay attention and respond to their representatives in Congress, according to The Washington Times. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Colbert Weighs In on N.Y. Times Bank Records Controversy

Staff / Truthdig Jun 29, 2006 Stephen Colbert said the N Times could learn a thing or two about secrecy from Superman, who continued to be "a pretend journalist" -- "like Brit Hume" . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Convenient Omissions on the Road to Guantanamo

Sheerly Avni / Truthdig Jun 24, 2006 Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross have made a necessary and important critique of grave injustices at Guantanamo Bay. But are their storytelling techniques entirely on the level? Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Jon Stewart, Enemy of Democracy?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 23, 2006 Remember when Jon Stewart famously told the "Crossfire" boys that they were "hurting America"? Well, now two political scientists are saying the same thing about Stewart. In a study, students who watched "The Daily Show" developed cynical attitudes about politics, the news media and the electoral system. Actually, more cynicism and skepticism would be helpful in the age of Bush and his Lies. But if, as the study suggests, "The Daily Show" turns young people off from voting, we can't be happy about that. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Classic Scheer-Carter Interview From ‘Playing President’

Staff / Truthdig Jun 22, 2006 During a 1976 interview for Playboy magazine that would produce one of the most famous remarks by a presidential candidate in modern times, Jimmy Carter told Robert Scheer, "I've committed adultery in my heart many times" Check out an excerpt of that exchange, along with many more in Scheer's new book, "Playing President". Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Norman Solomon: This Is Your Life, Dan Rather

Norman Solomon / Truthdig Jun 22, 2006 Mr. Rather, you spent too much time over the course of your career fawning at the feet of the powerful. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

More Plagiarism Charges Against Coulter

Staff / Truthdig Jun 15, 2006 Passages in Ann Coulter's new book appear cribbed from material distributed by an anti-abortion group (according to Raw Story) and from a press conference by Alan Keyes, then a Republican Senate candidate (according to Rude Pundit). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )